Monthly Archives: October 2014

29/10/14: I have a new ensemble piece called “After A Nonexistent Painting” which is being performed in the evening alongside Jonathan Harvey’s “Bhakti” as part of an RNCM festival In Memoriam Harvey. It’s the first in a series of pieces (which is ongoing) which will focus on the extra-musical connotations of musical material by omitting larger formal contrasts and presenting material as tablets. The title for this first piece is apt: the experience should be analogous to looking at a painting, unaware of the passing of time.

27/11/14: My Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival debut! Both ACM Ensemble and Sounds of the Engine House together are replacing the London Sinfonietta (who had to pull out) in performing music by composers promoted as part of the “Next Wave” initiative by Sound and Music. We’ll be doing the stint from 2.30-6pm in the Phipps Hall.

Perhaps it has something to do with being a performing composer where gigs seem to be like buses: none for quite a while, then a lot all at once! I was hoping to write a post before the following happened, but better documented than neglected I suppose:

3/10/14: My Project Re-Rite collaboration with Hannah & Amy Buckley was shown again at Bish Bash Bosh in the foyer as part of a wonderful evening of contemporary dance. Actually, it was one of the most exciting setups for an evening that I have seen recently, and I think there’s a lot that could have been learned by those in the music world from it. Below is a clip from the film, courtesy of Amy Buckley:

9/10/14: An RNCM Brand New Day featuring my new orchestral piece “One Cliché After Another” conducted by Piero Lombardi, which has already gained notoriety! I’ll hopefully upload bits of this soon.

10/10/14: I took part in the first of ACM Ensemble’s Living Room Gigs. These are essentially closed workshops with ACM players (plus Michael and Vitalija of course!), and each of the players take it in turn to organise an evening at their house where ideas are tested etc. It seems a bit like the invention of the iPad: people know that it will be very useful, but precisely how remains open. I certainly have plans to test out some “Sketch” pieces when it comes round to being in my living room…

15/10/14: Was used throughout the night in the second Classical Evolution gig in Night & Day Café, with an impromptu rendition of the Albinoni Oboe Concerto in D minor alongside my more standard calling as a new music oboist with a set featuring my flute and oboe duet “Hybrid Sounds” (which was given its first outing with flautist Maria Chybowska) and “Inhibited Tendencies” for solo oboe.